Door handle assembly
First Claim
1. A motor vehicle door handle assembly for actuating a door latch of the vehicle to allow opening and closing of the vehicle door, the door handle assembly including a door handle pivotally movable between a closed position in which the latch maintains the door in a closed position and an open position in which the latch is unlatched to allow opening of the door, characterized in that:
- the door handle assembly includes an actuator lever operated by the handle and mounted for pivotal movement about an axis remote from the handle pivot axis in response to pivotal movement of the handle; and
the door handle assembly further includes a side impact detector member comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the actuator lever and operative in response to a side impact against the door with the handle in its closed position to move inertially from a neutral position, allowing movement of the handle to its open position, to a side impact position, blocking movement of the handle to its open position.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A door handle assembly for a motor vehicle which acts to preclude inadvertent unlatching of the door in response to a side impact. The assembly includes a side impact detector member operative in response to a side impact against the door with the handle in its closed position to move inertially from a neutral position, allowing movement of the handle to its open position, to a side impact position, blocking movement of the handle to its open position. The door handle assembly includes an actuator lever operated by the door handle and mounted for pivotal movement in response to movement of the handle, and the side impact detector member comprises a lever pivotally mounted on the actuator lever. The side impact lever normally forms a linear extension of the actuator lever but pivots inertially relative to the actuator lever in response to side impact to a position blocking opening movement of the handle.
157 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A motor vehicle door handle assembly for actuating a door latch of the vehicle to allow opening and closing of the vehicle door, the door handle assembly including a door handle pivotally movable between a closed position in which the latch maintains the door in a closed position and an open position in which the latch is unlatched to allow opening of the door, characterized in that:
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the door handle assembly includes an actuator lever operated by the handle and mounted for pivotal movement about an axis remote from the handle pivot axis in response to pivotal movement of the handle; and the door handle assembly further includes a side impact detector member comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the actuator lever and operative in response to a side impact against the door with the handle in its closed position to move inertially from a neutral position, allowing movement of the handle to its open position, to a side impact position, blocking movement of the handle to its open position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A motor vehicle door handle assembly for actuating a door latch of a vehicle to allow opening and closing of the vehicle door, the door handle assembly comprising:
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a door handle moveable between a closed position in which the latch maintains the door in a closed position and an open position in which the latch is unlatched to allow opening of the door; a blocker member mounted for inertial movement between a neutral position, in which the door handle is free to move to its open position, and a blocking position, in which the door handle is precluded from moving to its open position; means operative in response to a side impact against the door to move the blocking member inertially from its neutral position to its blocking position, whereby to block movement of the door handle to its open position and preclude inadvertent opening of the door; the blocker member comprising a blocker lever mounted for pivotal movement from its neutral position to its blocking position in response to side impact; the door handle assembly further including an actuator lever separate from but operated by the handle and mounted for pivotal movement in response to movement of the handle; the blocker lever being pivotally mounted at one end thereof on the actuator lever and carrying a weight at the other, free end thereof, to accentuate the pivotal movement of the blocking lever in response to side impact. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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Specification